As I mentioned yesterday, I'm doing a raw food and juice cleanse this week. (And somehow I managed to convince Chris to do it with me--yes, the guy who stashes Pop Tarts in his desk drawers has agreed to raw food and juice for a week and a half.) So why a cleanse?
1. I wanted to see if I could do it. A few months ago, I read an article in Harper's called Starving Your Way to Vigor, which piqued my interest in fasting. I didn't think I could go without eating anything (and I definitely didn't think I could last more than a few days), so juice and raw food seemed like a more moderate approach that I could tackle.
2. I needed a break. I love food and eating; that's why I have a food blog. But now food is my job. My days are planned around my meals and food sometimes feels like work.
3. I'm trying to eat better and I've heard these cleanses help people kick bad food habits. I believe in moderation, but I think maybe I have a little too much moderation in my diet. Is small piece of organic candy or an all-natural cookie made with whole grains after dinner a bad thing? Nope. But just because something isn't necessarily unhealthy, doesn't make it healthy. I know better than to treat natural and organic food as health food and I don't, but I still use those labels to justify an indulgence that I don't always need.
4. I'm hoping that the cleanse will help my eczema. I get it on my hands and at times, it's difficult for me to cook and type without pain. (Cooking and typing are pretty important when you're a food blogger!) And yes, I would love to lose a little weight on the fast too, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.
After reading posts about raw food and juice cleanses on Spabettie and Averie Cooks, I decided to stop thinking about doing a cleanse and just do it. Because really, what's the worst that could happen? If I got so hungry that it completely enfeebled me and I had no energy to function, I could just eat!
So I formulated my plan: 3 days of raw food, followed by 3 days of juice, followed by another 3 days of raw food. Since raw cooking requires a lot of special ingredients and equipment (and this was supposed to be a break for me, remember?), we ordered a few meals, snacks, and desserts from Triangle Raw Foods. (Post-juice cleanse, I'll be making my own raw foods--I have a feeling they won't be nearly as tasty.)
And then because I didn't want to do juicing for two people six times a day (and because Averie recommended them in her juice cleanse post), I ordered the juice from Urban Remedy.
The first three days of raw eating were a breeze. We had raw Pad Thai, raw tacos, the tastiest kale salad ever, and I tried jicama for the first time. I have a weird thing about crunchy textures, so the jury's still out on that one. But my favorite part were the desserts. Of course!
Every weekend, I let myself get a treat of some sort--a brownie, a slice of cake, a chocolate bar, whatever.
And then I feel sick after eating it. I didn't feel sick after eating raw desserts; I felt good and energized, not stuffed and sluggish. Raw desserts? Totally doable.
And then it was onto the juice fast! Which I am almost in the middle of right now. Coming off of the raw food days, I figured that the juice would be almost as easy, but I find myself thinking about food. A lot.
Working on blog stuff has been pretty much unbearable (because: FOOOOD!), so I've been taking some time off from it and reading books, celebrity gossip, and anything else that I think will distract me.
I figured Chris would be the one who'd crack, but he's feeling wonderful and I just want to order a pizza. Oddly, I feel so full I could burst (I'm pretty sure if I were to jump up and down, my stomach would sound like a water balloon), but still incredibly hungry.
We decided to go with the intermediate level cleanse, which might have been a mistake since I suspect the beginner cleanse might be a little bit less healthy tasting.
Because these juices taste really healthy. I'm used to drinking juices with more fruit than veggies in them, so these are taking some getting used to.
I'll post about the last half of the cleanse and my overall thoughts about the whole process next Tuesday. Wish me luck!
Averie @ Averie Cooks says
You're doing Urban Remedy right now....congrats! And hang in there. Day 3 is easiest (well it was for me)...the end is in sight and you're doing an amazing thing and giving yourself a great gift. Just remember that when it gets hard 🙂
Kiersten says
Well, you know how it ended up. 😉 But hey, I got through a third of it!
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
You're a better person than I am. I would not be a happy person on a cleanse and right now all the water I'm drinking feeling like cleanse enough. LOL
Good luck on the rest of it; looking forward to hearing how the rest of it goes. I see a lot of bloggers doing that juice cleanse.
Kiersten says
I was puking all morning after I posted this, so I quit. And now I feel amaaaaazing!
April Golightly says
Good for you!!
Lisa @ Greek Vegetarian says
Wow, this sounds harder than my no-carb week! I get eczema on the hands as well, so I'd be very interested to hear if this cleanse makes a difference. Good luck!!
Kiersten says
I've noticed that my eczema is slightly calmer this week, although it tends to cycle like that anyway. Plus, I think the fact that I haven't cooked all week has helped!
dishing up the dirt says
I can totally get on board with this cleanse. I love juicing and eating raw food anyway. Good luck with the rest of your week!
Kiersten says
Yeah, I think if you're used to juicing, it would probably be fairly easy for you!
alana @ the food says
this stuff from kiehl's will solve your eczema. i know tonnes of folks in the food industry, who have to wash their hands so often that they end up with bad broken skin and eczema and they swear by it!
http://www.kiehls.ca/Ultimate-Strength-Hand-Salve/522,default,pd.html
try it! you'll love me afterwards!
Kiersten says
Well darn, I just placed a big order from Kiehl's and it came in the mail today! I'm going to put that on my list for next time, though. Thank you! 🙂
Caitlin says
those meals look fabulous! good luck with the rest of your cleanse, but i'm sure you'll do great!
Kiersten says
They were so good! I wish I could get raw food delivery every week. 😀
Cassie | Bake Your Day says
Can't wait to hear about it. I've been researching juice cleanses so I'm anxious to hear your thoughts on this one. Bravo for talking Chris into it, too. I don't think I could come near talking Paul into a cleanse. He is grumpy without food!!
Kiersten says
I was shocked that Chris agreed to do it. And then I broke the fast today and was like, "You know, you don't have to do this anymore either if you don't want to..." and he was like, "No, I'm going to finish it!" Which made me feel even worse for quitting, ha!
Meg @ Beard and Bonnet says
Good for you! You are totally my hero on this one. I have yet to be able to stomach a green juice, sad for a vegetarian blogger, I know! Keep up the good work, can't wait to see how it all turns out.
Kiersten says
I really love green smoothies and milder green juices. Anything where you can taste the fruit more than the veggies, I like. But if it tastes like a salad in a glass? No.
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
I was just thinking about getting a juicer when I saw this post pop up. Weird right? I was thinking of it because we haven't been feeling well all week so my fridge is full of veggies and grocery day is tomorrow 🙁 I don't know what to do with them all but I don't want to let them go to waste so a juicer would be perfect right? Anyways, I'm getting totally off topic.... Good for you! This sounds like an awesome experience. I've never done anything like this, but I'm constantly thinking it would be a good idea. I'm interested to see what you think at the end of it all.
Kiersten says
I quit! So based on my personal experience (which I'll write more about next week), I can't really recommend doing a juice cleanse. On the other hand, tons of people love them and my husband has been loving it too, so clearly it does work for a lot of (maybe even most?) people. But for whatever reason, I am not one of them! So if you did do it, maybe I'd commit to one day the first time and see how that goes before doing a longer cleanse.
Tabitha says
Hey Kiersten, have you even tried Dreamwash or Dream Cream from LUSH Cosmetics for your eczema? They also have an amazing hand wash specifically for dry hands called Putty for Your Hands that might really help you. I used to get mild eczema in the middle of my arms and Dream Cream got rid of it completely. You should check it out 🙂
Kiersten says
Thank you! I love Lush, but those are two products that I haven't tried. I'm going to pick them up next time I'm there. 🙂
Kristina says
I had such a strong craving for pizza when I was on one of my cleanses - I came up with a pizza juice (with raw cashews for "dough" as well...). you totally have this, girl - just know that YES you will feel vigor and energy and it is amazing! I did the Urban Remedy cleanses earlier this year - the middle one was my favorite, the greens are good but... probably the most difficult (I do like SOME fruit!). I like them a lot, another good one is Cooler Cleanse (similar format, amazing flavors!)
Kiersten says
Well, I suck, because I ended up quitting today. I was throwing up all morning--it was not pretty. I figured that something was wrong and I worried with the amount of, um, sick that I was, if I kept on like that, my electrolytes would go completely wonky or I'd get dehydrated. My husband still feels amazing, but for whatever reason, this just doesn't agree with me. 🙁
Kristina says
oh no!! you do not suck 🙁 sorry that happened, hope you are feeling better XO
Stacy says
I put watered down RAW honey on any dry skin patches and skin rashes, leaving it on 30 minutes, or overnight if possible. It's not too sticky if it is watered down, it dries quickly once applies. Worked like a charm for me 🙂
Your zucchini looks delicious!
Where did you get that darling bowl???
Kiersten says
I have tried manuka honey on my hands and it's worked to help heal the cracked parts and blisters, but it hasn't helped with the scaly patches at all. I always find things that help some of my symptoms, but nothing seems to help all of them! Oh, and the bowl is from World Market. 🙂
Alissa says
Brave woman! I'd be interested to hear about your energy levels both during and after the cleanse. I have a difficult time just eating a single 100% raw meal. Not sure if this is because it digests slower or I've got some detoxing to do or what, but I don't get my normal after-meal energy boost (and my typical, every day meals are healthy, veggie based and at least partly raw). I can't image nine days of raw, juice, raw. Good luck!
Kiersten says
I'm going to write more about it next week, but I felt terrible the whole time. I've heard other people feel great, other people have ups and downs, but I did not feel good yesterday, which I assumed was normal, and then today, I got really sick (like throwing up sick). I decided to break the fast and I felt SO much better after eating. Now, my husband, he has felt energized and absolutely fine throughout both the juice and the raw parts of the fast.
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
That kale salad looks fantastic! 🙂
Kiersten says
It was SO good! I wish I could figure out what's in the dressing.
Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? says
I've heard that people cutting dairy really helps with their eczema, too!
Jicama is hard to come by here, but I really like it. I've had it with a "salsa" with mango, cilantro and red peppers and Ponzo sauce. It's soooo good.
Kiersten says
I'm going to have to try jicama again before I decide whether I like it or not, I think. 🙂 That salsa definitely sounds tasty!
Erika says
Ahhh I am loving your blog so insanely much. I just can't stop browsing EVERYTHING you eat! (I want to eat/make it all). I love your photography but am loving your recipes even more! Good for you for trying raw--I tried going raw for a week and it was a little tough, but all in all a great experience! I felt super clean afterwards, although at points I had that same feeling of being just SO FULL of volume/liquid, yet still hungry. That's probably why I'm back to pancakes now 🙂 But can't wait to hear more about it!
Kiersten says
Thank you! 😀 I found the raw part of the cleanse surprisingly easy, but I decided I just couldn't handle the juice part, so I ended up throwing in the towel today. I wish I could be one of those people who feels amazing drinking those juices, but I got seriously sick instead. :/
Rebecca says
Good for you! I decided to do the same thing back in February, only I did the 21-day cleanse from Whole Living Magazine. I love food and I wanted to see if I had the willpower to make such a drastic dietary change. The results were amazing and one of the things I noticed immediately was that removing dairy and gluten completely changed my skin. I'd had issues with acne and eczema and these all but vanished after just a few days on the cleanse. I've been very interested in trying juicing as well--you've inspired me to give that a try! If you are looking for some excellent vegan dishes to try, I would recommend checking out some of the recipes from Whole Living's website. They're fantastic and satisfying. You almost forget you're on a cleanse.
Kiersten says
I love Whole Living! I've made some of the recipes from that article, although not as part of this cleanse. 🙂 The juice part definitely wasn't for me (I ended up quitting today after being sick all morning), but I really loved eating the raw foods for a few days.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
Wishing you lots of luck with this cleanse, Kiersten! I love my pasta dishes and cupcakes too much to quit them though, haha. I bet you'll feel great afterwards - keep with it! 🙂
Kiersten says
I ended up quitting today--ha! I got really sick. I'm going to post about it next week. My husband still feels great though--go figure!
Emily Scarborough says
I LOVE Triangle Raw Foods too! I wish that I could afford to order their food for a week to see how eating raw for more than one meal could go.
I wouldn't/couldn't do a juice cleanse so don't feel bad about not completing it. Some things just aren't for everyone!
Kiersten says
I know! I told my husband that I could totally go 100% raw if we ordered all of our food from there. 🙂 I'm pretty sure the only raw food I could pull off myself is making a salad.
Corinna says
I am really interested in your results. I have wanted to try a cleanse, but not sure if I can do it.
Kiersten says
I'll be posting about it again tomorrow--I ended up quitting! But my husband really liked the cleanse and felt that he got a lot out of it. So I'd say that if you're thinking about it, try doing one day first and if that goes well, do a longer one the next time.
Geraldine says
I get terrible eczema on my hands (and face!!) as well. The best non-prescription ointment I've found is Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream. You can get it at Target in the baby section. It's gooey - I put it on at night and cover my hands with socks! Really helps. Love your blog.
Kiersten says
Thank you for the tip! I need to start putting socks on my hands at night too. I wake up in the middle of the night and scratch my fingers without realizing it. :/
marissa @ the boot says
i have to admit, i'm a juice cleanse skeptic, so i'm super curious as to your wrap up at the end! you are super strong to do food blog things and be juicing! keep up the good work!
Kiersten says
Yeah, even though I did a cleanse, I was a skeptic about a lot of the claims. Mainly, I was hoping that a megadose of nutrition would help knock out my eczema and give me a bit of an energy boost--I didn't really believe that my body would detox or anything like that. And in the end, it made me sick, tired, and did nothing for my eczema. Although granted, I only lasted a day on it...
BusyWorkingMama says
How did it go? I have never fully understood what a cleanse or juice cleanse would do for you. I would have a very hard time on it! I'm a real b!tch when I get hungry!
Kiersten says
I'm posting about it tomorrow. I ended up quitting--ha! It made me sick. Chris loved it, though.
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says
Kudos to you for even trying a cleanse! I like chewing my food too much and don't think I would last even a day during a cleanse! I would like to try to eat more raw foods though, seems doable now that the weather is hopefully going to be getting warmer.
Kiersten says
So many people go on juice cleanses and say that they miss chewing! Maybe it's because I have TMJ, but I didn't feel that way at all, although maybe if I had lasted all 3 days, I would have. 🙂